2019

Environmental Studies

Sociology

Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Wilmington, Delaware

After Callie graduates from Ursinus, she plans to apply to the Natural Resource Police Academy. Her internship this past summer worked as an introduction to law enforcement which interested her. She was excited to apply to something so relevant to her future career path. Callie’s typical day at her internship consisted of patrolling her designated park, while searching for anything from violations from fee evasion to drug and alcohol violations within the park. She felt that this experience opened up a lot of new doors to understand conservation tactics that she learned in some of her Environmental Studies courses at Ursinus. Her main goal for the internship was to have a solid grasp on what Natural Resource Police do. In addition to achieving that goal, she also was able to apply her knowledge to contribute to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

Callie discovered that the main skill she developed while interning was being able to think quickly and make decisions quickly. She learned that in law enforcement, she had to think on her toes and trust her instincts. This internship also enabled her to work on her people skills, as she had constant interactions with people every day.

All of the full-time police officers had the largest influence on Callie during her internship. They often exposed her to different situations by allowing her to ride with them through the parks. Having them as role models helped Callie learn and stay positive in every scenario.

This internship solidified Callie’s decision to apply to the police academy after graduation. It gave her the confidence she needed to proceed forward because she now knows that it’s the field for her.

Sometimes Callie had to deal with saddening and unpleasant situations. Although body recovery was one of those situations, she found it to be one of the most influential learning experiences of her internship. She was able to work with other police forces like state, county, and special ops. It was an eye-opening, memorable moment for her to reflect upon as she moves forward in the profession.

“Definitely try to find an internship that you are interested in and something you might want to make a career out of. Even if your internship isn’t something you want to make a career out of, it is still a great way to develop connections to get you where you would like to go.”